The turn of the year has not, it appears, rid the OHAFC 1st XI of some of the problems that have seen the side struggling to remain afloat in the Arthurian League Premier Division. Once again, despite enjoying long spells in the ascendancy against Lancing in a vital clash that pitted eighth versus ninth in the table, the Blues were undone by several calamitous defensive errors and an inability to finish numerous clear opportunities. Had the side been even slightly more clinical in the vital areas, the 4-2 defeat could quite easily have been reversed, something the opposition were happy to admit after the final whistle.

A quirk of the fixture computer saw the two sides face each other in their final fixture of 2016 and their first of 2017. Lancing emerged victorious from the second round Dunn Cup tie down at Lancing College a week before Christmas but Saturday’s League encounter was arguably more important. With nether side likely possessing squads of sufficient quality to go all the way in the Cup, retaining Premier Division status is the main aim. A trip to Shrewsbury in the quarter-finals will have done little to persuade Lancing otherwise.

With several players still on their winter break and several others afflicted by the dreaded lurgy, the Harrow squad was far from full strength. But it was bolstered by a season debut from Crystal Palace’s very own strength and conditioning coach Sam Pepys, Dan Firoozan on a rare break from Durham University and a 1st XI debut for promising youngster Pablo Hutchinson, who had to put some domestic issues behind him in order to make it up to the Hill in time.

Interestingly, skipper Poulter switched to a 4-4-2 formation for the first time this season, with Pepys partnering Jesse Duah up front. Firoozan and Will David provided the width with Alex Breeden alongside his captain in the middle of the pitch.

Conditions on the Hill, yet again, were perfect with the pitch slick and no wind at all. Referee George Patriche, known for his strict no-nonsense approach, got proceedings underway just past 1pm and within three minutes Harrow had conceded, a loose pass out from the back was intercepted on the Lancing left and their quick winger beat Nick Scarborough on the outside before cutting into the area and sliding the ball past Fred Milln.

Still shell-shocked, the hosts shot themselves in the foot for the second time less than ten minutes later when the usually impeccable Yunus Sert badly underhit a back-pass to his ‘keeper allowing the same Lancing player to slip in, round Milln and roll the ball into an empty net.

At this stage Lancing looked like scoring from almost every attack with red shirts pouring forwards from every angle. To Harrow’s credit they slowly collected themselves together and gradually began to slow the game down, finding teammates with greater regularity and drawing the sting from their opponents. From one of their first attacks they were gifted a way back into the game when a move down the left allowed Sam Pepys to cross from the goal line and the ball was turned into the Lancing goal courtesy of a panicked defender’s outstretched leg.

Back came the visitors however and another quick passing move again saw the ball slipped into the left winger down the right side of the Harrow box but, despite evading the sliding challenge from Sert, he shot tamely, side-footing the ball straight at Milln.

With just after half an hour gone, and the game looking like it could conceivably finish 6-6, Dan Firoozan, who had barely featured in the maelstrom, suddenly burst into life, scoring another of his trademark brilliant goals.

Collecting possession midway inside the Lancing half, he carried the ball past two central midfielders, into the Lancing box, and calmly drilled it left-footed into the far top corner. Almost from nowhere the sides were level at 2-2.

Parity was to last all of two minutes with Harrow committing two cardinal sins in one swift move: allowing the opposition to score almost immediately after scoring themselves and, yet again, courtesy of an underhit pass back, this time the culprit being Alex Breeden. The ball was lost midway inside the Harrow half and one simple pass through the square back four saw Milln stranded on the edge of his box, allowing the striker to round him comfortably and roll the ball into an empty net.

Skipper Poulter had to give himself a breather prior to the break with his chest infection severely hampering him, Pablo Hutchinson coming on for his 1s debut up front. Sam Pepys moved back into midfield and this tactic bore fruit with both players heavily involved in the play, winning plenty of possession and using it efficiently.

The twenty minutes after the break resembled a basketball game, with play switching from end to end at a frantic pace. Both sides could, and should, have scored again.

Lancing thought they had added a third when the centre forward broke free down the left, clipped the ball past the back-peddling Milln and watched as the ball rolled towards the empty goal. Just as it looked certain to cross the line, Kyle Barrett flew in and hooked the ball clear, the defender and another Lancing player both ending up in the goal. Despite some Lancing pleas the referee ruled the ball had not crossed the line.

After that fortunate escape the hosts somehow failed to score themselves despite several clear opportunities. Firoozan began to dominate affairs, at one stage leading to one of the watching Lancing supporters to cry out ‘Just take him out’ as he set off on another run down the left. The youngster beat several men and squared it only to see Hutchinson’s close-range effort blocked a yard from goal by a combination of goalkeeper and defender.

Hutchinson then had the best chance of all to equalise when he was played through one on one but he delayed his shot and the ball spun up off the ‘keeper to the waiting Duah. As a goal looked certain, Jesse panicked, trying to backheel the ball in despite there being only a defender on the line. The connection wasn’t nearly good enough and the ball was comfortably cleared.

Soon afterwards the Lancing goalkeeper made a superb save from a corner, diving to his left to claw away a header from Sert that looked destined for the top corner. Pepys then drilled a free-kick just over from the edge of the box and it seemed just a matter of time before the hosts were back on level terms.

Following a brief respite in the action, with both defences regaining some control midway through the half, the final ten minutes again saw frantic action in both boxes. Fred Milln produced two fine saves to keep Harrow in it, clawing one shot round the post with his left hand before then saving well with his feet as he narrowed the angle to another Lancing break.

A Harrow counter-attack down their right seemed certain to produce a goal with Breeden and Duah left with just the ‘keeper to beat but the ball bobbled just as the midfielder prepared to cross and it sailed agonisingly past the boot of the young striker. Skipper Poulter was not amused, letting out an anguished cry.

His mood worsened moments later. As Harrow pressed again, the skipper launched a long throw into the Lancing box but it was cleared downfield and the break was on, four red shirts charging forwards with only three defenders in retreat. The visitors worked the break perfectly, switching play from one side to the other to allow a simple cross back into the box and a close-range finish.

Remarkably there was still time for the second Harrow substitute Oli Walker to smash a shot against the post but as the ball deflected wide, so went any hopes Harrow had of earning a deserved point from the game.

It was cruel on the Blues, who had fought back well from yet another disastrously sloppy start and, on chances created, deserved at least a point from the encounter. The simple truth, however, is that far too often this season individual errors, often from experienced players, have cost the team at the back. On Saturday, yet again, there was to be no way back, and the side is now faced with an uphill battle in the remaining seven games.

The good news is that there isn’t long to wait to try to gain some form of revenge over Lancing. The two sides meet again in Kingston on January 28th – at the moment, this is the OHAFC 1s’ next fixture and would become the first time in OHAFC history the 1st XI have played the same side three times running in official competition.